Leader Of Ex-military Wives Group Takes Her Cause To National Tv

January 4, 1986|By Sandra Mathers of The Sentinel Staff

After two years of trying, Lois Jones will get her wish this weekend.

The Winter Park president of National Action for Former Military Wives will take her 5,000-member organization's message to the nation when she appears on the CBS Sunday Morning show with co-host Marlene Sanders.

Jones said her group was instrumental in helping pass the federal Former Spouse's Protection Act in 1983. The act gave divorced service wives who qualify medical benefits and base exchange privileges and allowed husbands' military retirement benefits to be considered in divorce cases.

But Jones said the law is so restrictive it fails to address ex-wives' real needs. To qualify, the women must meet what is called the ''20/20/20 rule.''

It requires them to have been married to a serviceman for 20 years and to have served with him in the military for 20 years. In addition, the husband must have logged 20 years of active duty.

But even if a wife meets these criteria, the law allows state courts to disregard them, Jones said.

''We're very irate about this,'' she said. ''Why should we be stuck with this when other wives' groups are not?''

Jones said former wives of railroad, foreign service, CIA and civil service employees are covered by legislation requiring only 10-year marriages.

A military wife for 25 years, Jones said she and Jeanne Buchan of Cocoa Beach, the group's national public relations director, hope their television appeal will garner support for cutting in half that 20/20/20 rule.

''We also want a pro-rated share of the husbands' retirement,'' she said.

Jones said she began pushing to get on national television two years ago.

''Sunday Morning first called us last May, but it wasn't verified until last September,'' she said.

Sanders, the show's producer and two cameramen arrived Sept. 21 to tape a segment at Jones' home, then followed Jones and Buchan to a meeting of their group at a furniture store.

Jones said meeting locations haven't been revealed since the group received a bomb threat.

Formed in Texas with a handful of members in 1979, Military Wives has grown to include women in all 50 states and eight foreign countries, Jones said.

There are about 800,000 ex-military wives in the United States, Jones said. About 56,000 of them are in Florida. Jones said many are older women forced onto welfare for lack of retirement benefits from their husbands.

''It should be a military problem, not a welfare problem,'' she said. ''That's why we're so desparate for new legislation. Why should taxpayers have to pay again?''